アメリカ合衆国、ニューヨークにあるTrevor Day Schoolから交換留学生2名を受け入れていました。ラウンドスクエアの会員校同士での交換留学です。留学生のローラさんとジェイクさんは、授業や行事、クラブ活動にに工学院の一員として積極的に参加し、活躍しました。
来日直後の4月末の強歩大会では、高尾山を歩き、自然と文化を楽しみました。授業はもちろんのこと、クラブ活動や放課後講習にも参加しました。ホストファミリーの皆さんにはお世話になりました。ゴールデンウイークや週末に多くの場所に出かけ、文化理解と親交を深めました。お世話になった皆さま、ありがとうございました。
留学生が体験について書いたブログのリンクは以下です。
ls3868.wixsite.com
帰国後の留学生の感想です。
My time at Kogakuin was easily one of the best experiences I had during my time in high
school. Being part Japanese and having done exchanges at a middle and elementary school near my grandmother in Japan’s house, I was very excited to have another opportunity to go to school in Japan. Unlike my previous experiences, many of the students were able to speak English, some classes were in English while others were in Japanese, and I also had school on Saturdays. Some of these differences were easy to become accustomed to, while others were harder, but nonetheless, they impacted my time in Japan in a positive way. I felt very comfortable in the environment Kogakuin created, as I could practice my Japanese and hone my skills while having my English skills to fall back on if I really couldn’t convey something. Another thing I appreciated about the international class was that many of my classmates shared the same background as me, and I was quickly able to become close to them. Many of them had aJapanese background, but also identified with a different country, so I loved listening to their
experiences outside Japan. My days at Kogakuin were filled with laughter, learning experiences, and fun, whether I was just in class, hanging out with my friends after school, or participating in club activities. I will forever treasure the memories I made from my exchange, and I hope to visitagain in the near future. I was very flattered that many of my classmates told me that I changed the dynamic of the class and brought everyone together. I felt so incredibly loved by my friends, and I’m not exaggerating at all when I say that it was truly one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Even though I was in Japan for a month, I felt that time went by incredibly fast and I wanted to stay longer. Doing an exchange will definitely broaden your horizons, which is why I encourage anyone to try it out.
